1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to web browser technology.
2. Related Art
Computer systems include user interfaces that allow users to interact with the computer's hardware, software, and data. A user interface includes a means to output data to the user, and a means for the user to input data. To output data, a user interface may include a display that provides a visual representation of data. To input data, a user interface may have a means to select a point on the display. For example, the user may be able to select a point on the display using a pointer that is controlled by a mouse or keyboard. In another example, the user may be able to select a point on the display using a touch screen interface.
Web browsers are a type of user interface. Web browsers (also called browsers) are used to access pages. The location of such pages is often identified by a location address such as a uniform resource locator (URL). A browser may use a URL to access the content associated with the URL. In an example, the content may be accessed across one or more networks, such as the Internet. Content may include, for example, a web page, application, document, video, multimedia content, future utilized content mechanism, or any combination thereof. Browsers may display content in a content area. A user can interact with a browser, for example, to direct a browser to different pages.
The INTERNET EXPLORER 6 browser from MICROSOFT is a type of web browser. Other examples of browsers are the SAFARI browser from APPLE, the OPERA browser from OPERA SOFTWARE, and the CAMINO browser available at http://www.caminobrowser.org/.
The INTERNET EXPLORER 6 browser presents each content area in its own window. Each window has a user interaction area. The user interaction area may have, for example, a back button, a forward button, or a history drop down menu. Each window remembers the sequence of pages visited. The user interaction area depends on the sequence of pages visited. For example, the history drop down menu may display the sequence of pages visited and allow the user to select content to revisit.
Each window also has associated controls, which allow the window to be moved, minimized, maximized, and stacked. Managing windows is useful for many business applications. However, as more windows are opened, managing the windows can become tedious for the user. Users of web browsers often need to view many different pages. Having a window for each content area makes managing the windows tedious.
Because managing a window for each content area can be tedious, some web browsers provide a tabbed interface. The FIREFOX 2 browser, available at http://www.mozilla.com/, is an example of a browser with a tabbed interface. In a tabbed interface, each content area can be displayed in a different tab. In a single window, only one content area is visible at a time. If a user selects a tab, a content area associated with the tab is displayed. Each browser window can contain many tabs, allowing the user to open many pages inside a single window. For this reason, having a content area per tab is easier for the user to manage than having a content area per window in a browser.
While being easier to manage than traditional windows, this tab per content area approach can be confusing and inefficient. The FIREFOX 2 browser has a one-to-many correspondence between the user interaction area and tabs. The FIREFOX 2 browser uses the same user interaction area for multiple tabs, each with its own current content area and sequence of pages visited. Because the user interaction area depends on the sequence of pages visited, the user interaction area has to update every time a different tab is selected.
Also, the FIREFOX 2 provides only one set of navigation controls for multiple tabs. This one-to-many correspondence can cause the user to get confused and disoriented when moving between tabs. Disorientation may be pronounced when the user has a large number of tab instances open in a single browser window. Improved tabbed browser systems and methods are needed that are less disorienting.